Adrenergic receptors are members of the G-protein coupled receptor superfamily. Recent studies revealed that these adrenergic receptors are playing an important role in the growth and metastasis of prostate cancer cells. The expression of adrenergic receptors rises significantly in prostate cancer cells and tissues. Agonists of these receptors promote the growth and mobility of prostate cancer cells, while antagonists may suppress their proliferation, trigger their apoptosis, and inhibit their metastasis. Clinically, receptor antagonists can significantly reduce the risk of prostate cancer and improve its prognosis after androgen depravation therapy. This article presents an overview on the roles of adrenergic receptors in prostate cancer.
Adrenergic Agonists ; pharmacology ; Adrenergic Antagonists ; pharmacology ; Apoptosis ; Humans ; Male ; Prostatic Neoplasms ; metabolism ; pathology ; Receptors, Adrenergic ; drug effects ; physiology

OBJECTIVETo study features of brain gray matter injury in cerebral infarction patients and intervention of scalp acupuncture by using voxel-based morphology.

METHODSA total of 16 cerebral infarction patients were recruited in this study, and assigned to the scalp acupuncture group and the control group, 8 in each group. Another 16 healthy volunteers were recruited as a normal group. All patients received scanning of T1 structure. Images were managed using VBM8 Software package. Difference of the gray matter structure was compared among the scalp acupuncture group, the control group, and the healthy volunteers.

RESULTSCompared with healthy volunteers, gray matter injury of cerebral infarction patients mainly occurred in 14 brain regions such as cingulate gyrus, precuneus, cuneus, anterior central gyrus, insular lobe, and so on. They were mainly distributed in affected side. Two weeks after treatment when compared with healthy volunteers, gray matter injury of cerebral infarction patients in the scalp acupuncture group still existed in 8 brain regions such as bilateral lingual gyrus, posterior cingulate gyrus, left cuneus, right precuneus, and so on. New gray matter injury occurred in lingual gyrus and posterior cingulate gyrus. Two weeks after treatment when compared with healthy volunteers, gray matter injury of cerebral infarction patients in the control group existed in 23 brain regions: bilateral anterior cingulum, caudate nucleus, cuneate lobe, insular lobe, inferior frontal gyrus, medial frontal gyrus, precuneus, paracentral lobule, superior temporal gyrus, middle temporal gyrus, lingual gyrus, right postcentral gyrus, posterior cingulate gyrus, precentral gyrus, middle frontal gyrus, and so on. New gray matter injury still existed in 9 cerebral regions such as lingual gyrus, posterior cingulate gyrus, postcentral gyrus, and so on.

CONCLUSIONSBrain gray matter structure is widely injured after cerebral infarction. Brain gray matter volume gradually decreased as time went by. Combined use of scalp acupuncture might inhibit the progression of gray matter injury more effectively.

Acupuncture Therapy ; Brain ; physiopathology ; Brain Injuries ; therapy ; Cerebral Infarction ; therapy ; Gray Matter ; pathology ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Scalp ; Stroke ; therapy

This study was aimed to establish quality standards of Granati pericarpium and Granati semen. The microscopy and thin layer chromatography (TLC) were used in the identification of Granati semen. According to the 2010 Chinese Pharmacopoeia, the content of moisture, total ash, acid-insoluble ash and alcohol-soluble extract were determined. And the HPLC was used in the content determination of ellagic acid in Granati semen and Granati pericarpium. The results showed that the microscopic characteristics of Granati semen were identified. And TLC identification of Granati semen was established. The content determination method of ellagic acid in Granati pericarpium and Granati semen were established. It was concluded that the established qualitative and quantitative method can be used for quality control of Granati pericarpium and Granati semen.

Objective To epidemiologically analyze the common clinical symptoms of sub-health in Beijing area.Methods By analysis of sub-health,epidemiologlcal data and the method of factors analysis, we studied the features and properties of various symptoms and their relationships that represent various kinds of sub-health.We used the structural equation modeling to validate the relationship between the symptom groups and between the symptom groups and their components.Results The amount of the factors whose weight Values were larger than 1.0 was 13,and the cumulative value of all the factors was 55.67%.With the domain knowledge,however,the total factors were merged into 10.We took fatigue as the main hidden variable to build a structural equation model.The function was x2/df=3.65,and GFI,AGFI,CFI,Tucher Lewis indexes were all above 0.9.The direct effects between the hidden variables showed that fatigue is closely related to fatigue of eyes,sleep,and pain with the weighted coefficient ranging from 0.7 to 1.0. Fatigue is somehow related to the symptoms of stool,pee,fauces,mouth,and sweat with the weighted coefficients about 0.5.The indirect effects between fatigue and hidden vailables showed that fatigue has an effect on moods indirectly with standardized indirect effects and standardized total effects was 0.702 and 0.112.respectively.Conclusions The symptoms of sub-health are complex with a dominating symptom and many other secondary symptoms.The common symptom groups are maladjustment of mood,fatigue, abnormity of sleep,maladjustment of stool and pee,double-minded,fatigue of eyes,and pain.The results of structural equation model shows that the causality between symptoms that are in a symptom group is different,so is the causality between the symptom groups,which shows that the symptoms of the sub-health are of diversity.

OBJECTIVETo study the effect of Zhibai Dihuang Pill (ZBDHP) on urokinase-type plasminogen activator (uPA) and sperm quality in ureaplasma urealyticum (Uu) infection infertile patients.

METHODSRecruited were 80 infertility patients with Uu infection at Andriatrics Clinics and Department of Reproduction, including 130 cases of positive Uu semen and 50 cases of negative Uu semen. Patients with positive Uu semen were randomly assigned to the observation group (72 cases) and the control group (58 cases) according to the visit sequence. All patients took antibiotics for 2 weeks. Patients in the observation group additionally took ZBDHP, 6 g each time, twice daily. Those in the control group additionally took Vit E (100 mg each time, twice per day) and ATP (40 mg each time, twice per day). The therapeutic course for all was 90 days. Semen parameters and uPA contents of the sperm membrane were detected and comparatively analyzed.

RESULTSThe sperm membrane uPA content, the sperm motility, the sperm viability, and the percentage of normal morphology sperm in Uu positive infected patients were lower than those in Uu negative infected patients with statistical difference (P < 0.05), but with no significant difference in the sperm density between the two groups (P > 0.05). There was no statistical difference in pre-treatment sperm membrane uPA contents and sperm parameters between the two groups (P > 0.05). Compared with before treatment in the same group, the sperm membrane uPA content, the sperm motility, the sperm viability, and the percentage of normal morphology sperm obviously increased in the two groups with statistical difference (P < 0.05). After treatment, the sperm membrane uPA content increased more obviously in the observation group, with statistical difference when compared with the control group (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONSInfection with Uu leads to decreased uPA content of sperm membrance and the sperm motility. ZBDHP could effectively treat Uu infected infertility possibly through fighting against Uu damaged sperm membrane and make the sperm membrane uPA content return to normal, and elevate the fertilizability of sperms.

Anti-Bacterial Agents ; administration & dosage ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; Communicable Diseases ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; administration & dosage ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; Humans ; Infertility ; Infertility, Male ; Male ; Semen ; Semen Analysis ; Sperm Count ; Sperm Motility ; Spermatozoa ; Ureaplasma Infections ; drug therapy ; Ureaplasma urealyticum ; drug effects ; Urokinase-Type Plasminogen Activator ; metabolism

Objective To study the expression and pathologic significance of CD147,cyclophilin A (CyPA)and cyclophilin B(CyPB)in psoriatic lesions.Methods Immunohistochemical method was ap- plied to detect the expression of CD147,CyPA and CyPB in skin specimens of 15 patients with psoriasis pustulosa(PP),20 patients with progressive psoriasis vulgaris(PPV),and 20 patients with inactive psori- asis vulgaris(IPV).Immunoreactivity intensity distribution index(IRIDI)was calculated to assess the expres- sion intensity of CD147,CyPA and CyPB.Results CD147,CyPA and CyPB were detected in all speci- mens.The IRIDI scores of CD147 and CyPA were significantly higher in keratinocytes of psoriatic lesions than in those of the control specimens(all P0.05).The IRIDI score of CyPB in T lymphocytes of PP lesions was significantly elevated than that in PPV lesions,which was in turn higher than that in IPV lesions(all P0.05).Conclusion CD147,CyPA and CyPB may play a role in the occurrence and development of psoriasis.

Objective To assess the application of three-dimensional digital subtraction angiography (3D-DSA) in evaluation of ruptured intracranial aneurysm after clipping and to discuss the different variable use of vol-ume rendering(VR), gradient rendering (GR) and maximum intensity projection (MIP). Methods From January 2011 to December 2012 , 88 patients with 92 ruptured intracranial aneurysms were treated with clipping using titani-um clips in our hospital and followed up by both 2D-DSA and 3D-DSA. Residual aneurysms , Clips place, clips and parent arteries and stenosis of parent arteries were evaluated by volume rendering (VR), gradient rendering (GR) and maximum intensity projection (MIP). Results Among 92 clipped aneurysms, 23 residual aneurysms were found by 3D-DSA. Residual aneurysms were recorded according to the Sindou grade: 15 of gradeⅠ, 3 of gradeⅡ, 4 of grade Ⅲand 1 of grade Ⅳ. Three patients of grade Ⅲand 1 of grade Ⅳwith residual aneurysms were retreated by clipping or coiling, and 1 patient of grade Ⅲ was dead with rupture of residual aneurysm. The clips and number of clips were clearly visualized , and relationship between the clips and the aneurysms was well demonstrated by VR, GR and MIP images. VR, GR images showed the remnants clearly. Three-dimensional digital subtraction angiography did not showed accurate details of the stenosis of parent arties which required an analysis of 2D-DSA. Conclusion Three-dimensional digital subtraction angiography can be used for definite evaluation of resid-ual aneurysms after clipping, especially by VR, GR images. It is helpful to manage the residual ruptured aneurysms.

Objective:To explore the semantic priming processing characteristics of children with Chinese developmental dyslexia(DD).Methods:According to scores of the dyslexia checklist for Chinese children, character recognition test and Raven's standard progressive matrices (RSPM), 19 primary school students from a school in Wuqia County of Xinjiang were selected as DD group.Meanwhile, 19 children were selected as chronological-age control(CA) group matching in age and RSPM scores, and 20 children were selected as reading-level control(RL) group according to the character recognition test and RSPM scores.The amplitude of N400 of children in three groups were tested by semantic priming paradigm under the conditions of semantic related, unrelated and pseudo words.Results:The accuracy of the DD group under the conditions of irrelevant semantics((0.55±0.25) vs (0.81±0.16), P<0.05), and pseudo characters((0.43±0.27) vs (0.68±0.26), P<0.05) were significantly lower than those of CA group.There was no difference between DD group and RL group, as well as between RL group and CA group(both P>0.05). There was no significant difference in the response time among the three groups of children under semantic related and unrelated conditions( F=1.23, 2.03, both P>0.05). In terms of ERP data, in semantic related condition, there was no significant difference in N400 amplitude among the three groups ( F=0.55, P>0.05). In semantic unrelated condition, the amplitude of N400 in DD group was smaller than that in CA Group((-5.92±3.70)μV vs (-9.76±3.45)μV, P<0.05), and there was no statistically significant difference between DD group and RL Group((-5.92±3.70)μV vs (-7.41±4.02)μV, P>0.05), as well as between CA gorup and RL group.As to pseudo words condition, children in DD group had a lower amplitude of N400 than those in CA and RL groups ((-6.03±2.92)μV vs (-9.98±3.40)μV, (-8.91±3.40)μV, both P<0.05). While no significant differences were found between CA group and RL group. Conclusion:Children with Chinese DD have cognitive defects in semantic and orthographic processing.The semantic cognitive defects may caused by their low reading level, rather than their inherent defect, while the defect in orthographic processing may be their inherent defect.

Objective:The tumorigenesis, progression, and metastasis of lung cancer are mostly governed by the immunosuppres-sive profile. This study aimed to explore the levels of various immunosuppressive inhibitory molecules in lung-cancer patients subject-ed to different chemotherapy cycles. Methods:Thirty-three patients with advanced lung cancer (ALC;stages III-IV) without receiving prior chemotherapy and 23 healthy subjects were enrolled in our study. Peripheral blood samples were collected from the patients be-fore each chemotherapy cycle. The inhibitory markers expressed in T cells such as TIM3, PD-1, and CTLA4 were analyzed by flow cy-tometry. Results:The percentages of CD4+TIM3+, CD8+TIM3+, CD4+PD-1+, CD8+PD-1+, CD4+CTLA-4+, and CD8+CTLA-4+T cells in the peripheral blood of the ALC patients were significantly higher compared to the controls. The percentage of CD4+TIM3+, CD8+TIM3+, CD4+PD-1+, and CD8+PD-1+T lymphocytes in the peripheral blood of patients (n=19) who achieved PR or SD significantly de-creased after five cycles of chemotherapy (P<0.05). Similarly, the percentages of CD4+CTLA-4+and CD8+CTLA-4+T cells in the pa-tients also decreased after five cycles of treatment. Conclusion:The immune status of ALC patients was evidently suppressed. Effec-tive chemotherapy successfully potentiated effective immune responses by downregulating inhibitory molecules in T cells.

ObjectiveTo conduct a molecular epidemiological study on human metapneumovirus (hMPV) among pediatric patients in Guangzhou. MethodsA total of 1 840 clinical specimens were obtained from pediatric patients with respiratory infections in Guangzhou Women and Children' s Medical Center in 2010.hMPV was detected by real-time TaqMan RT-PCR in clinical specimens.F gene was amplified and the PCR-products were directly sequenced. ResultsIn 1 840 clinical specimens, 66 werehMPV-positive with a positive rate of 3.59％. hMPV was detected in all specimens except those collected in September and October, and the highest positive hMPV rate occurred in April (6.09％). The F genes of 3 randomly selected strains and hMPVgz01 ( isolated in 2008) were compared with subgroups A1, A2, B1,B2 and C, and the highest homology was with BJ1887 strain of genotype A2b (97％). The F genes of the randomly selected strains and hMPVgz01 were 99％ identical to each other. Sequences and phylogenetics analysis revealed that the epidemical strain in Guangzhou belonged to genotype A2b. ConclusionhMPV is prevalent in spring and summer among children in Guangzhou, and A2b is the predominant genotype.